Over on the auction site we’ve got a beautiful Cheney-framed Triumph that the seller describes as a “real race machine that could also win a beauty contest.”
1990 BMW K1
Post Listing Update: This K1 did not meet reserve with 27 bids up to $8,500 on eBay in Bakersfield, California. BMW keeps one-upping themselves when it comes to sportbikes as of late – they’ve just announced the M1000RR – but their history of inline-4 sporting machines starts with the famous K1.
Picture Intermission – Bikes at the Rock Store, 9/27
Last week I stopped by the Rock Store to see what was on display as it turns into an impromptu show every weekend. Here are my highlights!
No Reserve – 1996 MZ Skorpion Sport
Post Sale Update: This MZ sold for $2,200 after 5 bids on Iconic Motorbike Auctions in Santa Monica, California. Yamaha, MZ, and a British design firm called Seymourpowell all came together to create the MZ Skorpion, a rare sportbike that is now a cult classic.
1978 Yamaha RD400
In 1976, Yamaha made the RD350 a little bigger with a displacement bump up to 399cc. Thanks to 44 horsepower, the hooligan motorcycle du jour was capable of hitting the ton with a top speed of 105 miles per hour. Most people know the 400 simply for being an easier to ride upgrade over the 350, but it was also …
39 Miles – 2017 Triumph Street Cup
Take a Street Twin, then add a dash of sport with clubman bars, a mini fly screen, matching seat cowl, and a model-specific grey/yellow paint scheme, and you’ve got what Triumph called the Street Cup.
1942 Excelsior Villiers Welbike
Post Sale Update: This Welbike sold for $12,433 after 33 bids on eBay in Seattle, Washington. At the request of the British government, Excelsior developed the Welbike, a tiny single seater that was designed to be dropped into combat situations via parachute-equipped containers. The goal was that it could be unpacked and ready to ride within 11 seconds.
Start a Collection – 22 Motorcycles in Ventura, CA
Someone in southern California is undergoing a self-proclaimed “fall clearing garage sale”, and he/she has 22 bikes – some of which are very interesting.
1966 Ducati 250 Custom
Post Sale Update: This custom Ducati sold for $4,100 after 7 bids on eBay in Canton, Michigan. This narrow case single Ducati was modified by the previous owner to go vintage racing, but he sold it before he finished his project and the current owner has turned it into a “street cafe racer”.
Demo Unit – 2019 Yamaha Niken
If you’ve been intrigued about the Niken (what Yamaha calls a LMW for “Leaning Multi-Wheeler”) but thought that the cost for a third wheel was too much (MSRP of $15,999), here’s a dealer demo unit that’s got an asking price in four digits.
Guess That Bike Revealed – Key Edition
Congratulations to Todd Trumbore, who was the first to correctly identify that this key is used to fire up the mighty six-cylinder heart of a Benelli Sei 900!
Restored – 1975 Honda Rickman CR750 Cafe Racer
Post Listing Update: This Rickman CR750 did not get any action at the BIN of $19,850 on eBay. The Rickman brothers made a name for themselves by building incredible frames to put (usually) Triumph motors in, but in the 70s they also expanded to building frames for Japanese bikes like the Kawasaki Z1 and the Honda CB750. This is one …
1982 Kawasaki GPz550
Post Sale Update: This GPz550 sold for $3,150 after 17 bids on eBay in New Berlin, Wisconsin. When Kawasaki introduced the GPz550 in 1981, it was a shot in the arm of the middleweight class. Now riders could get something fast, nimble, and sporty without having to get a big bike!
Earl’s Court Show Bike in England – 1968 BSA Barracuda
In the world of British motorcycles, the highlight of debuts was the Earl’s Court show. That’s what makes this specific Barracuda special, as the seller claims that it was the bike that BSA brought out to show the world at the ’67 Earl’s Court motorcycle show. It’s had a “full ground-up restoration and is in amazing condition having been the …
Leon Haslam Pit Bike Replica – 2004 Italjet Dragster 50
In 2004, Leon Haslam earned Rookie of the Year honors while competing in World Superbike with the Renegade team with Noriyuki Haga. Leon’s best finish was 3rd, and he finished the season in 8th place. Italjet released a limited edition replica of his pit bike with a special cosmetic package that replicated what Leon would occasionally putt around on.